COOK BOOKS!!!!

Okay, so I have decided (and have been told) that I'm a total geek now... Or maybe I always have been but I'm now comfortable enough with myself to admit to it. =) Anyway, I'm very very excited. I just got back from having lunch with my mom and my grandma. I love it when my grandma comes to town!! Ever since I was a kid she would always bring presents with her. They're usually small things like a box of cracker jacks. She sometimes would bring us donuts but usually cracker jacks. I know it might sound lame but I would always get excited when Grandma Burkin would come with the cracker jacks. Well, today, she came to town with something a little better than cracker jacks. She came with two cookbooks!!!!!! I'm so excited (this is the part where my geekiness comes in). They are both diabetic cookbooks and I have already looked through them and the recipe's look fabulous! I can't wait to go home tonight and start cooking away! So dear blog readers, even though there are only two of you, prepare yourselves because my food blogging is going to start coming more often now! =)

A Mini Vacation

This last weekend Mike and I drove up to Seattle for my brothers big surgery... for those of you who don't know, my brother had a massive tumor in his abdominal area, err... it was kind all over. It started in his spine and just intertwined with his organs, nerves and so forth. The doctors removed about 20 pounds of it and there are still some pieces left in there. The easy part is over now and the hard part of healing begins. It was really hard to see him hooked up to so many tubes and a breathing machine. I'm so used to seeing my brother as a strong athletic guy and to see him bedridden like that made me cry. I just wanted to trade places with him or take on his pain so he wouldn't have to feel any.

So, Mike and I decided since we were in Seattle, we'd venture out and find something to do. We walked about 10 miles in one day... an no easy miles at that. I had no idea how hilly Seattle is!!!! I thought I was gunna die walking up all of those hills.

Anyway we decided that we would go to the EMP/Sci-Fi museum... It was awesome... here are some pictures of our time there:

The Body Fuels the Mind

A few weeks ago Mike and I were hanging out with our friends Lenny and Nichole. I was noticing how much weight they both had lost since the last time we saw them (it has been about a month and a half). They both looked absolutely fabulous, especially Nichole. She had lost a ton of weight and was very toned. I asked them how they did it and they simply said "p90x."
So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and start doing these p90x workouts. Now I can't do all of them because I don't have the supplies that all of the videos require (pull up bar and weights) so I stick the videos that don't require them. Man, oh man!!!!!! I'm beyond sore!!! These workouts are intense and I have done some pretty intensive workouts back in the day. Never have I been so sore. I was dripping in sweat after the warm up... sad I know.
Anyway, for those of you who are sceptical about the p90x workouts, let me assure you, there are a group of mike and i's friends who have been sticking to the program and I've seen their results. It's their results that made me want to start these workouts. So, if you've been curious and are wanting to get in shape, these videos will definitely whip you into shape. Check it out at www.beachbody.com

Chicken Salad Panini's... a partial disaster

I ended up making chicken salad panini's today. I was really wanting to make lemon lime chicken but didn't realize the recipe called for the chicken breasts to marinate for 12 hours in the fridge prior to making them... oops!!! I guess I should have paid attention a little better.

The paninis turned out pretty good except for the fact that I burnt the chicken. I have a really hard time determining when the chicken is cooked all the way. I'm so paranoid that I'm not going to cook it well enough and then everyone will get salmonella and die... yes, I'm one of those people. I even bleach down every speck of countertop, the kitchen sink, the faucet, and the cupboard under the sink where the garbage is just so I know everything is clean and salmonella free. Call me OCD or whatever, I'm just playing it safe.

So anyway, another new recipe that would have turned out great if I hadn't burnt the chicken. This dressing is wonderful and this is definitely a recipe that I'll make again and hopefully do it better the next time around.

So for those of you who can actually grill some chicken and actually have it turn out well, here's a great chicken salad panini recipe that serves 2 people.

Ingredients
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
3/4 teaspoon snipped fresh dill
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped, peeled apple
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
6 slices white bread
4 teaspoons butter, softened
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, apple and pecans; add dressing and toss to coat.
Spread half of the chicken salad on two slices of bread. Top each with another slice of bread, remaining chicken salad and remaining bread. Spread butter on both sides of sandwiches. Cook on a panini maker or indoor grill until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.




I also made these really good brownie cookie things but it all came from a box so I didn't feel like it was really blog worthy.

Maybe one of these days I will actually write about something exciting going on in my life other than food. I'm really enjoying cooking and learning my way around the kitchen. I really want to start making homemade bread and everything. Although Mike will tell you that sometimes I get stressed out and beg for him to come help me, I absolutely love cooking!

Well, time for me to plug in a movie and snuggle up with my handsome and fall asleep with this full and satisfied belly!

Calzone mmm mmm

Mike rates this one the best we've had yet, or at least tied with the macaroni. This calzone is quick, easy, and you can pick and choose all of your favorite pizza toppings. Here is my recipe, you can modify it as you please. *Please note the portions of the ingredients reflect 2 large calzones and serves 6-8 people.


Ingredients

2 loaves of Rhodes bread dough (or your own homemade bread dough)
2 cup of mozzarella or your favorite cheese (we used monterey jack and mozzarella)
1/2 pound of salami slices
1/2 pound of canadian bacon slices
1 cup of mushrooms (optional)
3/4 cup of onions (Optional)
*we didn't have green pepper or else we would have added that
*Marinara sauce for dipping if you so choose.

Directions

*Heat Oven to 375 degrees.
*Cover your counter tops and rolling pin in flour to keep the dough from sticking.
(these are the little things that I forget)


Roll each loaf of bread dough to about 12 inches by 8 inches *keep in mind that you may need to roll it out a little extra in case dough shrinks





Next, lay your toppings in the center length wise. Remember to leave enough room on all sides so you can close them together after your toppings are in!





Next, fold the ends together and pinch the dough so it stays closed. Grease your baking sheet. Place the finished calzone rolls with the seams down and place in the oven. We lightly drizzled the tops with olive oil and dusted it with finely grated parmesan cheese.



Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until lighty golden brown and they should look like this:





I am proud to announce that this is the first recipe that I did not mess up in!!! I think I'm finally getting the hang of this cooking thing.... or I need to stick to these easier recipes. =)

So dear blog readers, as the infamous Julia Childs would say... "Bon Appetit!"

Mac N Cheese to Die for =)

So, after last nights horrible chicken marsala disaster I decided to bounce back and try yet another recipe. So what was on the menu tonight? Mac n cheese... no it's not Kraft macaroni and cheese, it's homemade and I have pictures to prove it!

And here's the recipe. It was so good that I had to share it with everyone. The following recipe serves about 2 people (large servings)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/3 cups 2% milk
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
Directions
In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add the cheeses and Worcestershire sauce; stir until cheese is melted. Fold in macaroni.
Pour into a 1-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly.

And here's the pictures


See I really did make it and it wasnt out of a box



Mmm... Mmmm... =)



And the final product:




So for those of you who enjoy cooking, this was quick and easy and really good!!